Cotton picking spindle means



y 29, 8 J. J. QRAMBLETT 2,844,932

. COTTON vxcxxuc SPINDLE MEANS I Original Filed Nov. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, John J Bramb/aff y 1958 J. J. BRAMBLETT 2,844,932

CQTTON PICKING SPINDLE MEANS Original Filed Nov. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J ,zlzs

FIG.9

United States PatentO COTTON PICKING SPINDLE MEANS John J. Bramblett, Pine Bluff, Ark., assignor to Ben Pearson Incorporated, Pine Bluif, Ark., a corporation of Arkansas Original application November 9, 1955, Serial No. 545,965. Divided and this application October 10, 1956, Serial No. 615,111

8 Claims. (Cl. 56-50) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cotton picking spindle means employed in cotton picking machines of the type which includes. a plurality of rotatable rod-like spindles for engaging and removing the cotton fiber from cotton bolls, so-called slat means for carrying and rotatably supporting spindles, and drive means for effecting cotton picking rotation of the spindles.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 545,965, filed November 9, 1955.

In cotton picking machines of this type there has heretofore been the problem of keeping the surface of the spindles in roughened condition so that the cotton fiber will properly adhere to the spindles for removal from the cotton bolls. The roughening of the spindles has been heretofore accomplished by use of roughener means which engage the spindles. In time the spindles will become smooth, particularly due to the passage of the spindles through the stripper bars. Thus, after the spindles become smooth it is necessary to re-roughen the spindles. It is obvious that this continual process of roughening will wear down and shorten the life of the spindles.

It is contemplated in the present invention that an improved spindle be provided in which the spindles will not be smoothed by the stripper bars but will be roughened thereby, whereby the roughener means may be eliminated if desired.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved cotton picking means.

A further object of the invention is. to provide an improved spindle construction, the spindle being substantially square in cross section and having rounded corners. A further object of the invention is to provide such a spindle having a multiplicity of longitudinal edges for cotton fiber engagement.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an edged spindle with burrs formed along such edges. A further object of the invention is to provide a cotton picking spindle having a picking portion including a plurality of flat faces and a plurality of surfaces respectively interposed between the faces, the junction between the faces and the surfaces providing a multiplicity of cotton-engaging edges disposed longitudinally of the spindle.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve the design, construction and efiiciency of cotton picker means.

' The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the cotton picking machine, with parts broken away and removed for purposes .of

illustration. Y Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged Fatented July 29, 1958 2 scale of the spindles passing through the stripping means, with parts removed for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on a similar enlarged scale of a portion of a spindle supporting slat, illustrating one socket of the slat as being empty, another socket with a spindle assembly about to be inserted therein, and a third socket after a spindle assembly has been seated.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken as on the line IVIV of Fig. 3. 1

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken as on the line V--V of Fig. 3. i

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view-on a still further enlarged scale of the spindleand roller assembly.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken as on the line VII-V1I of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on a still further enlarged scale taken as on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6, with the roller removed for purposes of illustration; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view on the scale of Fig. 8 of a fragment of the picking portion of the spindle.

Referring now'to the drawings in which the various parts are'indicated by numerals, a cotton picking machine of the general type in which the present invention may be employed is illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus the cot.- ton picking machine 11 may comprise a frame 13, a housing 15, and vertically arranged front and rear shafts 16, 17 respectively journalled in hollow bearing standards. Front shaft 16 has respectively attached at the upper and lower ends thereof upper and lower sprockets 21, the shaft 16 and sprockets 21 providing a rotatable front idler assembly. Rear shaft 17 has attached to the upper and lower ends thereof drive sprockets 23 which are keyed to shaft 17. A pairof vertically spaced upper and lower endless conveyor chains 25 engage sprockets 21, 23.

Additionally, cotton picking machine 11 is provided with a plant tunnel 27, chain guides 29,- and may include a suitable suction pipe 31 for conveying the cotton from the machine. It will be understood that the cotton. picking machine illustrated is adapted to be carried by a suitable tractor or the like, not shown, and adapted to be powered by the coupling of rear shaft 17 througha gear box 32 to suitable driving means, such as a drive shaft 32A which may be driven by the tractor power unit. All of the foregoing elements of the cotton picking machine, being of usual construction, are intended for illustration .only and not as limitation, since the present invention does not reside in the arrangement of the foregoing elements, but resides in the spindle assemblies, and in the relationship of these elements to each other and to other related elements. i 'A' plurality of vertically extending .and horizontally spaced slats 33 of the present invenion are interposed between upper and lower chains 25 to form an endless spindle carrier which travels in a longitudinally elongated path. Slats 33 are pivotally connected toupper and lower chains 25 as by hinge means. Details of slats 33 and of suitable hinge means may be in accordance with the disclosure of my aforesaid copendiug application, Serial No. 545,965, filed November 9, 1955.

Each of slats 33 is preferably integrally formed as of aluminum or the like and comprises a vertical body member and a plurality of vertically spaced end hearing means formed integral with and extending inwardly from the body member. Each of said end bearing means preferably comprises an end bearing housing 99 including a pair of laterally spaced legs 101 integrally connected by a base portion 103. An end bearing is housed in the base portion 103 of each of end bearing housings 99,-the axis of end bearings 105 being substan- 3 tially coextensive with the longitudinal axis of end hearing housings 99.

Each of slats 33 is provided with a plurality of sockets 107 which: are. respectively in. alinement with rear bearings 105. Sockets 107 extend from the outer face of slat 33 inwardly through the material of body member 95 and are in communication with the space between legs 101. Sockets 107 are threaded along a portion of their length extending from the outer face of slat 33, the threaded portion being indicated as at 109.

A plurality of intermediate bearing means are respectively threadedly engaged in sockets 107. Each of said intermediate bearing means preferably comprises an externally threaded hollow plug 110 and an intermediate bearing 113 removably seated therein. Each of hollow plugs 110 is provided with a flange 111 at one end thereof and terminates at the other end in a butt 112 Each of bearings 113 is preferably formed of wood or the like and each consists of a cylindrical body portion 115 and a cylindrical end portion 117 concentric with the body portion and projecting outwardly therefrom, end portion 117 having a smaller diameter than body portion 115. End portion 117 is removably seated in the bore of hollow plug 110 with the shoulder 119, formed by the juncture of end portion 117 with body portion 115, seated in face to face engagement with butt 112. End portion 117' extends substantially the length of plug 111 with the distal end of end portion 117 being substantially flush with the outer face of the flange 111. The outside diameter of body portion 115 of each of bearings 113 is slightly less than the inside diameter of each of sockets 107 whereby body portion 115 is removably and closely fitted in sockets 107.

A plurality of spindle assemblies 121 are respectively removably and rotatably supported in sockets 107, each of spindle assemblies 121 being journalled in one of said intermediate bearing means and one of said end hearing means. Each of spindle assemblies 121 includes an elongated wire-like spindle 123 having a cotton engaging portion 125 extending along a major portion of the length thereof. The remainder of spindle 123 may comprise a rounded or cylindrical portion 127 comprising a minor portion of the length of spindle 123. Cotton-engaging portion 125 is substantially polygonal, preferably substantially square, in cross-section and of substantially uniform dimension throughout its length, as best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8. The corners of cotton-engaging portion 125 are rounded off as at 129,, whereby a plurality of edges are formed as at 130 by the intersection of the fiat faces 125A of cotton-engaging portion 125 with rounded off surface portions 129, thus creating of the predominantly substantially square cross-section an approximately octagonal cross-section consisting of alternating fiat faces and surface portions, the surfaces, preferably round, being interposed between the flat faces. Rounded surfaces 129 preferably have the same radius as rounded portion 127 of spindle 123 and form an extension thereof as best illustrated in Fig. 8. It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forming of surfaces 129 by rounding off the corners of cotton-engaging portion 125 to provide edges 130, but that the surfaces may be formed as by truncating the edges to form cotton-engaging portion 125 in true polygonal, as for example octagonal, cross-section. Additionally each of spindle assemblies 121 includes a roller 131 frictionally fitted or rounded portion 127 intermediate the ends of spindle 123. Each of spindles 123 is provided with a tongue 133 which fits into a groove cut out in the bore of rollers 131 whereby the rollers are keyed to the spindles against relative rotation. Rollers 131 are of a diameter substantially less than the diameter of each socket 107 for easy passage of the roller therethrough. The inward end 137 of each of spindles 123 projects inwardly from roller 131 and is journalled in end bearing 105. Outward of roller 131 rounded portion 127 is journalled in an intermediate bearing 113.

It will be understood that in assembling a spindle assembly 121 with slats 33 intermediate bearing 113 is placed on the cotton engaging portion 125 of spindle 123 with the end portions 117 extending outwardly, then hollow plug is placed over end portion 117 with the butt 112 in faee-to-face engagement with shoulder 119. This assembly of the plug 110, bearing 113 and spindle assembly 121 is best illustrated in Fig. 3. The assembly is then placed in one of sockets 107 and hollow plug 110 threadedly secured in socket 107. Hollow plug 110 is turned until annular flange 111 abuts the outer face of the slat.

In seated position, as best illustrated in Fig. 5, it will be understood that roller 131 is interposed between legs 101, which are preferably internally rounded or undercutas at 101A to receive and partially surround the roller with a close spacing therebetwecn. The diameter of each of rollers 131 is less than the diameter of each of sockets 107, whereby the rollers are movable through sockets 107 into and out of seated position. It also will be understood that the diameter of each of rollers 131 is greater than the width of each of legs 101 whereby the rollers will extend above and below the sides of the legs for exposure to and engagement by drive units.

For ease of operation a pair of washers 141 may be respectively interposed between roller 131 and intermediate bearing 113, and between roller 131 and end bearing 105.

Rollers 131 ride on suitable drive rails as of the type shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 545,965, whereby when the slats 33 are moved longitudinally relative to the drive means, rollers 131 will be rotated causing rotation of spindles 123.

Included in cotton picking machine 11 are a plurality of stripper means which strip the cotton from the spindles 123, and which in the present invention performs the additional function of burring the edges of the spindles. Each of said stripper means preferably includes a pair of hardened metalstripper bars 189 which engage spindles 123 and between which the spindles pass. The stripping means may be of a usual construction including springs 191 which urge stripper bars 189 into engagement with spindles 123, or may include other means of resiliently urging the bars into spindle engagement, or may be otherwise mounted for spindle passage therebetween. Also included are stripper bar holders 193 which hold bars 189 in place, the holders being removably secured to rib means 195, which are respectively attached to a post 197 to support the stripping means therefrom. Stripper bars 189 are preferably vertically alined and angularly disposed relative to the path of spindles 123, as best illustrated in Fig. 1. Engagement of the ends of spindles 123 with a board 198 will cause the spindles to have a trailing disposition when they pass through stripper bars 189, as shown in Fig. 1.

As spindles 123 approach stripper bars 189 the spindles will be freely rotatable since they are no longer in engagement with drive rails. Upon initial engagement of spindles 123 with stripper bars 189 the spindles will be rotated under the pressure of the stripper bars upon the spindles into a disposition in which the upper and lower fiat faces A of the spindles will be parallel to and in engagement with the edges of the bars, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. Thus spindles 123 will pass squarely through stripper bars 189 regardless of their disposition upon approach to the stripper bars.

As the spindles 123 pass between stripper bars 189 the stripper bars moving firmly along the flat faces will create microscopic burrs as at 199 in the edges of the spindles, the burrs being exaggerated in Figs. 8 and 9 for purposes of illustration. It has been found that the edges burred as herein described will improve the holdingcharacteristic of the spindles, that is, the ability of the spindles to hold the cotton thereto and will give excellent cotton picking results. Additionally, the burring might be preliminarily accom- I plished, before installation of the spindles in the cotton picking means, by drawing the spindles through hardened bar means similar to the stripper means herein described whereby the spindles will be conditioned for immediate use.

Heretofore in the rounded spindles employed in cotton pickers of this type, the spindles have become smooth upon passage through the stripper bars and it was necessary to provide roughening means for roughening the spindles. In the present invention stripper bars 189, upon passage of spindles 123 therethrough, will not smooth rounded surfaces 129 since the rounded corners are not engaged by the stripper bars. Thus the roughening may be applied to the rounded corners if desired.

It will be understood that in many conditions the edgeburring may be unnecessary and accordingly may be omitted without.departing from the present invention, since the provision of longitudinal edge portions serves greatly to enhance fibre engagement by the spindles.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an improved cotton picking means, including improvements in the efficiency and utility of various instrumentalities employed therein.

The invention further provides a new and novel cotton picking spindle embodying a new and novel concept and approach to the problem of picking cotton and greatly improving the efiiciency of the cotton picking operation by providing highly superior cotton picking and holding characteristics not heretofore obtained in prior structures, without impeding or defeating the ease of stripping the picked cotton from the spindles. Additionally, the spindle is of the type and kind, which, when the cotton is stripped therefrom upon passage between hardened bars or strippers, is reconditioned for subsequent use and maintenance of its improved cotton-engaging and holding characteristic by the action of the stripper bars along the faces of the spindles.

I claim:

1. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use in cotton picking machines, comprising a spindle having a cylindrical portion, a drive roller fixed to said cylin drical portion intermediate the length of said portion with fibers against slippage relative.

sections of said portion projecting oppositely beyond said roller to provide means adapted to engage machine-carried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one of said sections in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the crosssectional area of said cotton picking portion being substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton picking portion and being less than the cross-sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion including two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of each pair being parallel, and the faces of one pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said faces being interconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces.

2. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use in cotton picking machines, comprising a spindle having a cylindrical portion, a drive roller fixed to said cylindrical portion intermediate the length of said portion with sections of said portion projecting oppositely beyond said roller to provide means adapted to engage machinecarried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one of said sections in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the crosssectional area of said cotton picking portion being substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton picking portion and being less than the cross sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion-irrcluding two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of each pair being parallel, and the faces of one pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said faces being interconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces arcuately curved in cross-section, the radius of the curve of said surfaces being equal to the radius of said cylindrical portion, said surfaces lying in the same cylinder of revolution with the exterior of said cylindrical portion.

3. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use .in cotton picking machines, comprising a spindle having a cylindrical portion, a drive roller fixed to said cylindrical portion intermediate the length of said portion with sections of said, portion projecting oppositely beyond said roller to provide means adapted to engage ,machine-. carried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one of said sections in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the cross-sectional" area of said cotton picking portion being substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton pick: ing portion and being less than the cross-sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion 'including two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of. each pair being parallel, and the faces of one pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said (faces beinginterconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces, said one cylindrical portion section convergingly sloping into said faces intermediate said surfaces.

4. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use in cotton picking machines, comprising a-spindle havinga cylindrical portion, a drive roller fixed to saidcylindrical portion intermediate the length of said portion with sections of said portion projecting oppositely beyond said roller to provide means adapted to engage machinecarried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one of said sections in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the crosssectional area of said cotton picking portion being substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton picking portion and being less than the cross sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion including two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of each pair being parallel, and the faces of one pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said faces being interconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces arcuately curved in cross section, the radius of the curve of said surfaces being equal to the radius of said cylindrical portion, said surfaces lying in the same cylinder of revolution with the exterior of said cylindrical portion, said one cylindrical portion section convergingly sloping into said faces intermediate said curved surfaces.

5. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use in cotton picking machines, comprising a spindle having a cylindrical portion adapted to receive a drive roller and providing means adapted to engage machine-carried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one end of said cylindrical portion in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the cross sectional area of said cotton picking portion being substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton picking portion and being less than the cross sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion including two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of each pair being parallel, and the faces of one pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said faces being interconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces.

6. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use in cotton picking machines, comprising a spindle having a cylindrical portion adapted to receive a drive roller and providing means adapted to engage machine-carried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one end of said cylindrical portion in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the cross sectional area of said cotton picking portion being substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton picking portion and being less than the cross sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion including two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of each pair being parallel, and the faces of one pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said faces being interconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces arcuately curved in cross section, the radius of the curve of said surfaces being equal to the radius of said cylindrical portion, said surfaces lying in the same cylinder of revolution with the exterior of said cylindrical portion.

7. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use in cot- -ton picking machines, comprising a spindle having a cylindrical portion adapted to receive a drive roller and providing means adapted to engage machine-carried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one end of said cylindrical portion in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the cross sectional area of said cotton picking portion being substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton picking portion and being less than the cross sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion including two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of each pair being parallel, and the faces of one '8 pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said faces being interconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces, said one end of said cylindrical portion convergingly sloping into said faces intermediate said surfaces.

8. Cotton picking spindle means adapted for use in cotton picking machines, comprising a spindle having a cylindrical portion adapted to receive a drive roller and providing means adapted to engage machine-carried bearings, a cotton picking portion integrally connected with one end of said cylindrical portion in alinement with said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion being of substantially square cross section and of a length in excess of the length of said cylindrical portion, the cross sectional area of said cotton picking portion be ing substantially uniform throughout the length of said cotton picking portion and being less than the cross sectional area of said cylindrical portion, said cotton picking portion including two pairs of elongated substantially flat faces extending substantially throughout its length, the faces of each pair being parallel, and the faces of one pair being perpendicular to the faces of the other pair, said faces being interconnected at their edges by coextensive surfaces arcuately curved in cross section, the radius of the curve of said surfaces being equal to the radius of said cylindrical portion, said surfaces lying in the same cylinder of revolution with the exterior of said cylindrical portion, said one end of said cylindrical portion convergingly sloping into said faces intermediate said curved surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 464,852 Canuteson Dec. 8, 1891 863,962 Ames Aug. 20, 1907 1,668,247 Morava May 1, 1928 2,508,842 Searles May 23, 1950 2,629,221 Rust Feb. 24, 1953 2,665,535 Rust Jan. 12, 1954 2,691,261 Fergason Oct. 12, 1954 

